AARP TURNS TO KNOWLEDGE NETWORKS TO MEASURE MEMBERS' SUPPORT FOR MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BILL

Menlo Park, CA; December 5, 2003: AARP - the nonprofit membership organization representing some 35 million U.S. consumers age 50 and above - tapped Knowledge Networks to understand its membership's feelings and opinions about the important Medicare prescription drug bill. AARP sought accurate information on its membership's feelings about the bill to fulfill its mission of representing its members' policy attitudes and preferences. The survey was conducted while the bill was the center of deliberations in the U.S. House of Representatives and then later in the Senate.

Using its projectable, Internet-based panel of consumers nationwide, Knowledge Networks interviewed 494 AARP members in less than 24 hours, capturing attitudes and opinions about specific aspects of the bill, as well as information on respondents' current levels of insurance coverage.

The visual nature of the online Knowledge Networks survey allowed for the complexity of the drug bill to be presented more easily to respondents, aiding their comprehension of its benefits as well as limitations.

Through extensive profile information on its panelists, Knowledge Networks is able to quickly locate such key groups as:

• seniors and others with specific health problems,
• users of prescription and/or OTC medications, and
• consumers who shop at warehouse stores and other retail channels.

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization dedicated to making life better for people 50 and over. It provides information and resources; engages in legislative, regulatory and legal advocacy; assists members in serving their communities; and offers a wide range of unique benefits, special products, and services for its members. These include AARP The Magazine , published bimonthly; AARP Bulletin , a monthly newspaper; AARP Segunda Juventud , a quarterly publication for Hispanic members; NRTA Live and Learn for National Retired Teachers Association members; and a Web site, www.aarp.org. AARP has staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Knowledge Networks delivers quality you can use—superior methodologies, design, and analysis that give you an edge when it comes to understanding consumers and making business decisions. KN's unmatched consumer research resources include the only projectable Web-based consumer panel. The company leverages its expertise in brands, media, advertising, and analytics to provide insights that speak directly to clients' most important marketing issues. In addition, Knowledge Networks has built a substantial practice in government and academic research, an area notable for its rigorous methodology standards.